University College London—one of the United Kingdom’s leading academic institutions—is facing a firestorm after a guest lecturer delivered an antisemitic blood libel during a campus event, prompting immediate condemnation, a police referral, and sweeping disciplinary action.
Dr. Samar Maqusi, identified in event materials as a UCL researcher and former UNRWA employee, was invited to speak Tuesday at a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) event titled “The Birth of Zionism,” part of a lecture series called “Palestine: From Existence to Resistance.” During the talk, Maqusi invoked one of history’s most notorious antisemitic conspiracies—the medieval blood libel that falsely accuses Jews of murdering non-Jews to use their blood in Passover rituals.
According to verified audio obtained by StandWithUs, Maqusi falsely told attendees that Jews require “drops of blood from someone who’s not Jewish” for a “holy ceremony,” and described the 1840 Damascus Affair—a case in which Jewish community leaders were tortured into forced confessions—as proof.
“During this feast, they make these special pancakes, or bread, and part of the holy ceremony is that drops of blood from someone who’s not Jewish… has to be mixed in that bread,” Maqusi said. She went on to claim that a monk whose disappearance triggered the Damascus Affair was found murdered and that Jews “admitted to kidnapping him and murdering him to get drops of blood for making the holy bread.”
The blood libel has fueled centuries of massacres and persecution of Jews across Europe and the Middle East. Its appearance at a major British university has sparked outrage well beyond campus.
UCL President and Provost Dr. Michael Spence condemned the remarks in a statement to The Times of Israel, calling them “heinous” and “utterly appalling.”
“Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our university, and I want to express my unequivocal apology to all Jewish students, staff, alumni, and the wider community that these words were uttered at UCL,” Spence said.
Spence also stressed that Maqusi is not a current university employee and announced immediate sanctions:
The lecturer has been banned from campus and the university has reported the incident to police.
The SJP student group that hosted the event has been suspended from holding any further events pending investigation.
UCL has opened a “full investigation into how this happened,” Spence said, noting that the university has already initiated disciplinary proceedings against students for separate antisemitic incidents and has involved law enforcement “where appropriate.”
The episode comes as UK universities confront rising reports of antisemitic harassment, intimidation, and extremist rhetoric—much of it tied to campus activism. UCL’s harsh and rapid response underscores growing pressure on universities to draw firmer boundaries between legitimate political expression and hate speech.
“Freedom of speech and academic freedom are fundamental to university life,” Spence said. “But they can never be misused as a shield for hatred. UCL remains steadfast in our commitment to ensure our campus is a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for everyone.”
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This despicable creature ימח שמה וזכרונה may have confused Tabernacles & Blood Libel in מצות, but notwithstanding:- May this filthy piece of meat rot in גיהינום for all time, both בעולם-הזה ובעולם הבא